# US 2014/0201156 A1 · Virtual machine file-level restoration

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- Number: US 2014/0201156 A1
- Document ID: US20140201156A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/215,192
- Filed: 2014-03-17
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2009-04-10
- Assignees: PHD Virtual Technologies
- Applicants: PHD Virtual Technologies
- Inventors: James Rosikiewicz; Calab K. Shay; Ronald T. McKelvey; Alexander D. Mittell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140201156A1

## CPC

- G06F 11/1469: {Backup restoration techniques}
- G06F 11/1438: {Restarting or rejuvenating}
- G06F 11/1484: {involving virtual machines}
- G06F 16/10: File systems; File servers
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Disclosed is a method and system for selectively restoring file-level data from a disk image backup. In embodiments, a virtual machine backup may be performed by dividing a virtual machine virtual disk file into a plurality of discrete fixed-sized data blocks sharing a common index file that is stored on a backup medium, such as a hard drive, to form a backup set. The index file is referenced to determine which fixed-sized block contains volume information, such as a partition table, of the backed-up virtual machine file. The individual blocks are processed as a virtual filesystem which is mounted and presented to an access module, which traverses the filesystem and provide access to individual files in the image backup to a client process. The restore files may be delivered to the client in a container file, which may be compressed to increase transfer speed. The container file may include executable instructions for automatically restoring the files to a desired location.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for retrieving a logical data unit stored within a backup set represented by at least one backup data block, and an index file, comprising the steps of:
identifying a backup data block containing information indicative of the logical organization of the backup set;
identifying at least one logical data unit stored within the backup set;
selecting at least one identified logical data unit; and
transferring the selected logical data unit to a recipient.